I am guessing that some of you out there can help me. I am wondering what the optimal(best image quality) dpi settings for several types of media are. What is the best output resolution for screenprinting(textile), magazine type media, poster size media? Does the size of output matter(3x5, 8.5x11, etc.)? Is there a guide anywhere? Also, are there standard colors(hues) for process color(CMYK)? I had someone print a 3-D design on a T-shirt, but the colors came out somewhat darker and different than what I saw on my monitor. Is that to be expected, and will that happen on printed paper media also?

Ok - I'll give it a go. I'll tell ya all I know about print and its not much... First - Figure out what your printed image size will be and also the DPI of the final print. Lets use this as an example: 4"x5" at 300DPI (Final print output). To figure out your image size to render in Carrara you multiply the height by the DPI and the width by the DPI.. 4" x 300 DPI = 1200 5" x 300 DPI = 1500 So in the render section of Carrara under Image Size set it to 1200 x 1500 Pixels for the size at 72 DPI. Now when you print this file to 4" x 5" at 300 DPI you will have pretty darn good quality. I know nothing about CYMK or magazines .... I print images to laser printers to frame and sell in art Galleries. The above information works perfect for that. If you have questions on the above let me know. Hopefuly someone else will have the other information. Regards, Clint

Here goes. (You might want to grab a cup of coffee or something; I tend to get lengthy in my responses....) When images are being printed for a magazine or other off-set lithographic imagery, the print-shop uses a different set of terminology entirely for resolution: lines. In my experience producing images for that sort of printwork, 300 DPI is often adequate, although some publishers want 600, and others some odd number. Best bet is to ask the publisher what their standards are. As for CMYK, the whole purpose of using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black is to be able to re-create any color in the spectrum. Of course, this is not always possible, but it's a pretty good approximation. Some print jobs will employ CMYK plus a "spot color," which is a specifically mixed color of ink that would be difficult to duplicate by usual CMYK means. These are often referred to by their "pantone" number. Pantone is a company that makes printing ink (for offset print-shops), and developed standard pigment ratios for printers to use to ensure the exact same color every run. Programs like Photoshop and PageMaker can use the pantone number to identify colors you're using in your layout. Colors not matching from monitor to printout. It's a vexing problem and there's no real easy answer. It's usually easier to adjust your monitor to match the printer's output than the other way around. I read an article in PC Photo a year or two ago that suggested printing out a set of color bars and then spending time adjusting your monitor to match the output. That way, you'll know what colors you're going to get. The darkness issue may be from your monitor's adjustment, the absorption characteristics of the media (iron-on transfer, in this case) you've printed on, the color of the T-shirt you've transferred to, etc. And yes, when you print on paper, it will look different, still. I'd suggest that it's worth every penny to get premium printing papers; they really do make a difference in the quality of output. Yeesh! Did I really just go on that long? Sorry if I'm too long-winded, and I hope this info is helpful. - Chip